COLLEGE STATION, TX—The Texas A&M College of Veterinary
Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) honored five of its alumni
at a reception and dinner held on Friday, March 31, 2017, at the
Miramont Country Club. The recipients of the 2017 Outstanding
Alumni Awards and the Rising Star Award are all leaders in the
veterinary medical and biomedical sciences fields, and the awards
recognize their contributions and service to their communities.

“These alumni are ambassadors for the CVM, and we are proud of
their commitment to service, education, and leadership,” said Dr.
Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King dean of veterinary medicine. “We
are honored and privileged to recognize our former students and the
impact of their work on our college, our state, our nation, and the
world.”

Rising Star Award

Dr. Chase A. Crawford '14

Dr. Chase A. Crawford ’14

Although Dr. Chase A. Crawford graduated from Texas A&M
University with his DVM in 2014, his career had already become one
devoted to advancing One Health concepts and improving animal,
human, and environmental health. He received his MS in Biomedical
Science in 2010, and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, with a minor
in Chemistry, in 2007, from Texas A&M University.

Prior to graduating, Crawford completed an alternative
curriculum track, which included internships with the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) in Rome,
Italy, in 2013, and with the World Health Organization (WHO) in
Geneva, Switzerland in 2014. During these opportunities he
gained valuable experience in monitoring and helping to containing
global zoonotic disease threats, such as avian influenza.

After receiving his DVM, Dr. Crawford served as a congressional
fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences
(AAAS) and worked in the office of United States Senator Al Franken
(D-MN), helping to advance the senator’s global health,
agriculture, and energy initiatives. While working in the senator’s
office, Dr. Crawford advocated for the essential roles of
veterinarians and wildlife biologists in controlling and preventing
zoonotic diseases, in particular the Ebola virus outbreak in
western Africa. He went on to draft legislation for Senator Franken
to establish a federal, interagency One Health program, and to
promote a framework at the international level among
intergovernmental organizations, such as WHO and the UN, which
became S. 2634, “The One Health Act of 2016.”

In 2015, Dr. Crawford was named as the Director of the
Antimicrobial Resistance Initiative, a joint program of the
Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU) and the
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). He
oversaw the development and implementation of all aspects of this
initiative that elevated the role of academic institutions in
national efforts to address antibiotic resistance in agriculture
settings, including cultivating relationships with key stakeholders
in agriculture, healthcare, industry, and advocacy, as well as UN
agencies.

Dr. Crawford joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis (OPLA) as a program
analyst in August 2016, overseeing a new Zika virus research
initiative and providing information and guidance on Congressional
actions affecting the NIH. The OPLA is a liaison with members of
Congress and their staff and performs legislative analysis and
policy development.

Currently, Dr. Crawford serves as a Program Health Analyst at
the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Crawford continues to champion the importance of One Health and
the roles of veterinarians to the community, thereby fostering
understanding and bringing global visibility to the One Health
concept.

Outstanding Alumni Awards

William (Bill) R. Fenner, DVM, Diplomate, American College of
Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) (Neurology), has the
perspective of both an academic and private practice veterinary
career.

He was raised in his father’s private, general practice, where
he gained an early understanding of the importance of listening to
each client. Thirty years in teaching and research development has
showed him the importance of always looking to the future.

Dr. Fenner earned his DVM from Texas A&M University in 1973.
Following his graduation from veterinary school, he completed a
yearlong internship in small animal medicine and surgery, as well
as a two-year residency in small animal medicine and neurology, at
The Animal Medical Center in New York. He was a member of the
faculty and administration at The Ohio State University College of
Veterinary Medicine and was a guest faculty member at Michigan
State University and Purdue University Colleges of Veterinary
Medicine. He was awarded the Norden Distinguished Teaching Award,
as well as The Animal Medical Center Distinguished Alumnus
Award.

A leader in the field of veterinary neurology, Dr. Fenner is
currently the neurology specialty leader at MedVet Columbus, where
he has been part of the medical team since 2004. He is also the
professional liaison for the ACVIM and serves as its representative
on the American Board of Veterinary Specialties.

With research published in peer-reviewed journals, including the
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Dr. Fenner maintains an
interest in all aspects of small animal neurology with particular
interest in the management of canine seizures. He has been the
principal investigator of several clinical studies focused on the
treatment of epilepsy and the response of the nervous system to
inflammation (encephalitis). In addition, he is the principle
editor and a contributor for all three editions of “Quick Reference
to Veterinary Practice.” An active advocate of continued education
for veterinary professionals, Dr. Fenner has lectured on small
animal neurology topics both nationally and internationally.

Outside of veterinary medicine, Dr. Fenner’s interests include
history, travel, food, and music. His season tickets to both the
Lyric Opera in Chicago and the Metropolitan Opera in New York give
him the opportunity enjoy both music and food. He regularly visits
friends in Great Britain, where he has explored ancient Roman
ruins—in particular, Hadrian’s Wall.

Joshua Floren, FACHE, has developed a reputation for his
commitment to advance-care delivery and working collaboratively
with physicians and other caregivers. That reputation has allowed
Floren to rise quickly through the ranks at Texas Health
Presbyterian Hospital in Plano, where he directs the acute care
hospital in its continued leadership of the North Texas market in
improving the health of the communities the hospital serves.

Floren earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M
in Biomedical Sciences in 1997 and went on to earn his Master’s in
Health Administration from Washington University in St. Louis.

After a 2 year fellowship and 6 years in various administrative
positions at Charleston Area Medical Center, he moved back to Texas
to work at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. He spent 7 years there
ultimately becoming their chief of hospital operations.

He was named president of Texas Health Plano in 2015, a
promotion that came less than two years after joining the hospital
as vice president of professional and support services, for which
he oversaw ancillary and support services, including radiology,
rehabilitation, pharmacy, orthopedic joint program, and nutrition
services.

At Texas Health Plano, Floren has been instrumental in the
opening of the Texas Health Ben Hogan Concussion Center and the
Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine Center at Toyota Stadium in
Frisco. Under his leadership, Texas Health Plano became the first
hospital in North Texas to offer EOS, a low-dose, 3-D imaging
technology that provides another advanced diagnostic option for
patients. His hospital has been recognized as a top performer
in quality and patient satisfaction for many years and has
continued to be recognized by the community as the “Best Place to
Have a Baby”.

Floren is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare
Executives (ACHE) and served for several years on their North Texas
board of trustees ultimately becoming the president of the
board. The College went on to recognize him in 2016 with the
ACHE North Texas Reagent’s Award.

He also is an active proponent in the community, serving as a
member of Leadership Plano, Class 32, a program of the Plano
Chamber of Commerce dedicated to educating, developing, and
empowering current and future leaders. He is currently on the
Children’s Advocacy board in Collin County, the Texas Hospital
Association Policy Council and is a member of the Biomedical
Sciences Advisory Council here at Texas A&M. In addition,
Floren was on the advisory board for the American Diabetes
Association and the American Cancer Society.

He and his wife of 12 years, Valerie, have three children:
Jackson, Brooks, and Charlotte. His hobbies include hunting,
skiing, cooking, and traveling, though most of his spare time is
spent coaching kids’ baseball and attending his children’s sporting
events.

Dr. Steve Lewis has found success in a number of arenas. A
leader in feed yard/stocker cattle medicine, Dr. Lewis also has
become known for both his dedication to the profession via
research, as well as his business ventures.

Dr. Lewis graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in
veterinary science in 1977. He earned his DVM degree Cum
Laude in 1979, both from Texas A&M University. Following
graduation, he began his career at a mixed animal practice in
Muleshoe, Texas. There, he came to recognize the need for a large
animal practice in the Panhandle and established his Hereford
Veterinary Clinic, in Hereford, Texas, in 1982.

Today, Dr. Lewis serves as manager and senior partner at the
clinic, which contributes to the practice of general medicine and
surgery, with specializations in beef cattle consultation, equine
and food animal research, embryo transfer, equine surgery, and
orthopedic surgery. The clinic’s annual client cattle population is
more than 1.75 million head.

In addition to being a prominent practicing-consultant
veterinarian, Dr. Lewis is a successful businessman, as director of
Hereford State Bank.

He combined his passion for veterinary medicine with his
business acumen through two corporations. Hereford Vet Supply,
Inc., of which Dr. Lewis is a majority stockholder and the chief
executive officer, provides an assortment of products and feed for
livestock and pets. Through its stockholder consultants, the
company represents more than 3 million head of cattle annually.

Because of his extensive research and clinical trials
experience, Dr. Lewis co-founded the Veterinary Research
Associates, PLLC (VRA), a group of beef cattle veterinarians who
provide feedlot clients cost-efficient methods to decrease disease,
increase productivity for their cattle, and foster a centralized
cooperative to conduct field trial research. The VRA partners have
consulted for more than 75 feed yards, which represent more than 6
million head of cattle annually.

Throughout all of his achievements, Dr. Lewis has maintained a
servant’s heart, giving his time to a number of professional
organizations, including serving as president and director of the
Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC), which recognized him as
the AVC Consultant of the Year, and as a member and past board
member of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, which
recognized him for Preventative Medicine Practitioner and the AABP
Practitioner of the Year. Most recently, he was named the Food
Animal Practitioner of the Year by the TVMA.

He also offers workshops on areas related to his expertise,
serves on the endowment committee and for fundraisers at West Texas
A&M University, and is a member of First United Methodist
Church in Canyon.

Currently, Steve is still very busy in his consulting practice.
However, more thought is being given into slowing down and
dedicating more time to his wife, grandkids and hobbies. Steve and
his wife, Sally have three children, Dustin, Kody, and Augusta, and
five grandkids. He enjoys flying his airplane, fishing, and
traveling with Sally. Pasturing calves and cattle feeding are also
included in his hobbies, which qualifies, as they are fun, cost
money to do, and recently do not make much money.

As an officer in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, COL Timothy H.
Stevenson has devoted his career to ensuring the safety of his
fellow soldiers, and the animals that support them.

After earning his Bachelor of Science degree and DVM from Texas
A&M in 1986 and 1988, respectively, COL Stevenson worked as a
private practitioner before joining the Army Veterinary Corps in
1990. He returned to Texas A&M to earn his Doctor of Philosophy
degree in food microbiology in 1999.

COL Stevenson’s career took him across the United States and
Europe, serving as deputy director for the Department of Defense’s
(DOD) Food Analysis and Diagnostic Laboratory at Fort Sam Houston
and as the commander of the Veterinary Laboratory Europe, during
which time both labs achieved accreditation for the first time.

Today, he serves as chief of the Defense Health Agency
Veterinary Service, where he leads the Veterinary Service Branch at
the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs)
in Falls Church, Virginia, a position for which he was
hand-picked.

Throughout his career, COL Stevenson has contributed
significantly to the betterment of military veterinary medicine,
both within the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps and the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) military community, via leadership of
working groups and nine publications on water and food safety and
beef production and safety.

He was the driving force behind the creation of the U.S. Army
Medical Department’s Food Defense program; arranged a food defense
summit; and coordinating the development of laboratory capacities
to test and identify chemical, biological, and radiological agents
that could be used by terrorists to contaminate subsistence
items.

He helped draft a Memorandum of Agreement with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to train and authorize veterinary
service personnel to use the direct rapid immunohistochemistry test
for rabies, which was used by deployed veterinary units in Iraq and
Afghanistan to protect soldiers.

During this time, COL Stevenson also was dedicated to the
development of future Army veterinary leaders through teaching and
mentoring, including organizing and teaching a course on auditing
commercial laboratories for dairies, bottled water, and other food
production facilities that has become the standard for all U.S.
Army veterinary officers in Europe.

He has been recognized as a diplomate of the American College of
Veterinary Microbiology and the American College of Preventative
Medicine, Epidemiology Specialty, along with many other awards and
recognitions.

COL Stevenson has been married to Harriet for 30 years.
She is a Biomedical Science graduate (Class of ’84). They are
blessed to have two adult sons. His hobbies include home renovation
projects, skiing, running, and serving in his church and
community.